Xardas
Xardas - one of the main characters appearing in every Gothic game. He is an old necromancer. He has short, gray hair and a gray beard, white eyes and pupils (despite this he is not blind). He is wearing a dark-violet robe with shoulders facing upwards, ornamented with an elegant belt and an amulet. He is very mysterious - he wants to achieve something at all cost. His goal is to get the power able to end the war of gods. He is the teacher, mentor and a guide to the Nameless Hero, whose he treats with concern. Personality and Traits Xardas is very mysterious, enigmatic and indrawn man. He does not reveal his plans even to his allies, and tells Nameless Hero as much as he deems it is necessary, while keeping the rest to himself. He is being morally dual - tries to be humanistic, he wants to free humans and save them from the war of gods, but is ready to make morally questionable decisions and sacrifice other if that helps him reach his goal. He seems to recognize the "end justifies the means" principle. Despite caring about Nameless Hero and guiding him through his journey, Xardas considers himself to be his only friend. Background He used to live in the monastery of Khorinis and was a member of the council of fire with Pyrokar and Corristo. He was interested in the magic of Beliar and his temples even back then. After the events that happened 40 years ago (disappearance of two temple of Beliar), he decided to find them. He took several books, notes and other mysterious manuscripts, with disapproval from Pyrokar, who kept losing trust to Xardas. A hidden library emerged under the walls of monastery, where Xardas wrote down everything he managed to learn and hid it. Later he was chosen by Rhobar II to create a magic barrier over the Valley of Mines, meant to prevent convicts from escaping. The mage thought that it would also be a good opportunity to seal the precious ore from the forces of beliar, and prevent the incident from Nordmar from ever happening again. But before heading to the valley, he sealed the enterance to the underground library and left some of his demonic guardians there. He was the one who supervised the creation of the magic barrier, making sure everything goes as it should. After the barrier got out of control all mages met up in the castle of the Old Camp. Even then people were suspicios of his weird behaviour. He was called a necromancer, because he was often seen summoning creatures from the underworld. Then he decided to leave the camp and move south in order to study the arts of black magic, and to find out what went wrong with the creation of barrier. He built a tower behind the Old Citadel, that would later be flooded by the lake as a result of an earth quake. Withe the help of his demons he built a new tower near the orc city. Mages of water tried to contact him several times, to no effect. After ten years spent of studying alone, he became the most powerful mage under the barrier, and had reached sixth circle of magic, while Corristo and Saturas were adpets of fith circle. Gothic Xardas lives on the orc lands, not far away from their city in his creppy tower. After nearly all fire mages were murdered by Gomez' guards, Saturas sends Nameless Hero to the necromancer who might help them to destroy the barrier. Once The Hero solves the golem riddle, a demonic guard allows him to meet his master. Xardas greets The Hero in an unkind manner, but decides to help him to destroy the barrier, and tells him everything he learned so far, and that the answer lies underneath the orc city. 1000 years ago 5 orcish shamans summoned a powerful that would help them defeat enemy clans. Beliar, knowing that the Valley is rich in ore deposits, he disatched The Sleeper there. The Sleeper defeated the enemy clan, so orcs have built him an underground temple, full of traps. Fice orcish shamans sacrificed their hearts to The Sleeper, but they also got cursed and became the undead. The Sleeper fell into deep sleep, and orcs have sealed the temple. Xardas claims that the demon caused the barrier to get out of control. He tells Nameless Hero to head to the Old Citadel, and talk with Ur-Shak the orc shaman who should know how to get into the temple. Banished shaman reveales that in order to get through the orc city, he will need Ulu-Mulu - the orcish symbol of friendship. Once The Hero gains Ulu-Mulu, he heads off the orc city, then he has to trick his way into the temple. After some time he comes back from the temple, as he could not beat the last undead shaman and apocaliptic templars, that prevented him from facing The Sleeper. However, he managed to find a strange sword, that he took and showed to Xardas. Dark magician claims that the weapon is a powerful magic sword - Uriziel, but was drained of his magic. The necromancer prepares a magic formula that would be used to charge Uriziel and restore its magic propeties. After a successful ritual, Nameless Hero heads of to face the last orcish priest. In one of the last champers, The Hero unexpectedly meets Xardas, who used all his power to teleport into the temple. He gives him last hints, after which he falls asleep. Once the demon was banished, Xardas managed to get out the temple before it collapsed. Gothic II and Gothic II: The Night of the Raven Xardas heads to Khorinis, where he built his new, third tower. He teleports Nameless Hero out of The Sleeper's temple and gives him a new task - to get the Eye of Innos. The necromancer explains that The Sleeper has set into movement an army of darkness - including dragons, and that he will need the Eye of Innos. After The Hero gets the Claw of Beliar, Xardas is very glad, but warns him not to loose the sword. When the Eye of Innos is destroyed by the Seekers, Xardas claims that Vatras is the only person who might know how to fix it. The water mage decides to perform a ritual that will reverse the effects of evil magic and restore its power. Pyrokar is not happy that he will have to work with Xardas as he does not trust him. The necromancer tells Nameless Hero to deliver a book that might change Pyrokar's mind. Arch-mage of fire is astonished by the gift, and agrees to head to the stone circle, so he could straighten out some matters with his old friend. In the fifth chapter the wizard suddenly vanishes, only leaving few demons in his tower and a letter adressed to Nameless Hero. After defeating the Undead Dragon the black mage appears again, and took over his power by absorbing soul of the dragon, thus making himself chosen by Beliar, after which he vanishes once again. He is last seen arriving on the ship, where after a short talk with Nameless Hero, he farewells him with these words: "We will meet again". Before teleporting away, he also quotes Vatras: Gothic 3 "Even here I feel his power, even though it is so far away." - Potros about Xardas It turned out that Xardas was allied with Beliar. He became the master of the Orcs and made a covenant with them. In addition, he destroyed the rune magic, thus depriving the Fire Mages and Paladins of the magical weapon against the Orcs. During the Battle of Faring, Xardas defeated the Myrthans using the sixth Focus Stone (witnesses to this event saw Xardas walking along the path, then blinded everyone with a powerful glow) and gave the Orcs a free hand in getting Faring. He then made contact with Kan and allied with the Orcs. He ordered the Orcs to start excavations and search for all five Adanos' Artifacts. Xardas went to Nordmar and visited the Wolf Clan, where he sat for a whole day. After talking to the leader, he supported the Nordmaris with two Ice Golems, and shortly thereafter, along with Hanson and Greypelt, they set off to the northeast of Nordmar. They parted at Deer Hill, then Xardas went alone. He built the fourth tower and began studying there again. After the arrival of the Nameless Hero, Xardas said he took over Beliar's power to help Innos, who is now very weak. He sent the Nameless Hero to search for all five Adanos Artifacts that the Orcs had already been looking for. Later, Xardas revealed to the Nameless Hero his plan: Xardas wants to destroy all five Adanos' Artifacts and kill King Rhobar the Second and Zuben, thereby ending the War between Innos and Beliar. We managed to do this and the war between Innos and Beliar came to an end. Xardas and the Nameless have set off on their last journey. Together they moved towards the stone gate leading to the Unknown Lands. The Unknown Hero opened it with the help of Scep of the Varant and the Staff of the Eternal Wanderer, which he received from King Rhobar the Second and Zuben. Then, the Nameless Hero and Xardas went through the portal and built a tower in the Unknown Lands, where they lived. In the meantime, there was peace in the Kingdom of Myrthana. It turns out that Xardas allied with the Beliar. He made a pact with orcs, so he became their master. Besides that, he destroyed the rune magic, thus deprived the mages and the paladins of their magic means of defending themselves. Durning the siege of Faring, he defeater the army of Rhobar II with his magic (witnesses claim that the old mage was just walking down the path, which was followed by a powerful flash), and made it easier for orcs to take over the the castle. Then he came to an agreement with Kan and allied with the orcs. He ordered the orcs to start the excavations in search for artifacts. The mage came to Nordmar and visited the village of hunters - Wolf Clan, where he spent the rest of his day. After talking to their leader he left some ice golems that would help defend the village, took Hanson the hunter and his wolf with him and went to the north where they would later split. He built his fourth tower there and began to study. Once Nameless Hero finds Xardas, he claims that he absorbed Beliar's power to help Innos who is too weak. He sent The Hero to find the Artifacts of Adanos that the orcs are trying to find. Later he would reveal his plans - to destroy the Artifacts of Adanos nad kill the chosen ones - Zuben and Rhobar II, which would free this world from the war of gods. The plan proves successful and the war comes to an end. Xardas and the Nameless Hero go on to their last journey. They pass through the portal and arrive in the Unexplored Lands. Gothic 3: The Beginning At the age of twenty, Xardas lived in his cottage near the town of Khorinis. One day ghost of his great-great-grandfather - Buthomar, spoke to him. He asked Xardas for help in bringing peace and for stopping Dusaro. He ordered him to head southeast to the Temple of Fire, where the rune of the fiery arrow was hidden. It turned out that the Orcs from Dusaro were already there. Xardas was not strong enough to face them then. Buthomar ordered him to go to Kilbas, one of the Chosen Ones, who lived in town of Khorinis. When Kilbas heard about Butcheror, he gave Xardas his symbol to open the Temple of Fire. When Xardas went there, he found the rune of a fiery arrow. Xardas asked Kilbas for help in using it, and the hunter sent him back to the abbey, where Celdric would surely know what to do. Celdric handed Xardas another magic symbol and instructed him to go back to Kilbas. At his home, Xardas met the Robbers, who had kidnapped Kilbas. It turned out that one of them had a map to the rider of their gang. When Xardas went there and killed the Bandits, he and Kilbas went to the abbey. There Celdric told about the Order of the Blood and Butcher, and then with the help of their symbols they ordered him to open the passage to Initria, because they needed four runes. When Xardas did, he went to Initria and asked about Idra, one of the chosen, who was not favorable to Dusaro. He was not at home at the moment, so Xardas went to the nearby Temple of Life. He opened the portal using symbols and took away the healing rune. Then Xardas returned to Idra's house and showed him the stone. Idra told him that he would receive his symbol when he would free his sister from the members of the Order of the Blood. When Xardas did, he received the symbol and went to the Temple of Power. There, he found Corgar and his men, quickly took away the sleep rune and went to Monrar, the last of the Chosen Ones. Corgar's men stopped at his house. Monrar himself blinded them with focused sunlight and ordered Xardas to go to the Temple of Death near the town of Khorinis. There, Dusaro himself was waiting for Xardas, who quickly entered the Temple of Death and took over the rune of death. Then Xardas went to the abbey, where all the elected were gathered. Together they set out to fight with Dusaro, who was in the base in the forest. There, with the help of the Chosen Ones, Xardas killed Dusaro and ended the authority of Order of the Blood. Gothic 3: Quest Pack 4 Xardas sent his orders for the Orcs in Myrthana: *Order from Ardea, *Order from Gotha, *Order from Vengard, *Order from Hammer Clan. After showing these scrolls to Xardas by the Nameless Hero, Xardas gave the Nameless Hero new scrolls with orders that he had to hand over to Kan. The Nameless Hero gave new scrolls with orders to the Orc guarding the gate to the castle in Faring. Gothic 3: Forsaken Gods Xardas and Nameless Hero are watching Myrthana through a portal. 2 years have passed, Gorn and Thorus began to fight. The necromancer agrees with Lee, that the humans and orcs will soon become tired of the war. Nameless Hero wants to end the war on his own, and tries to cross over the portal to Myrthana, but Xardas wants to stop him. A fight breaks out which ends with The Hero comes up victorious, after which he vanishes in the portal. Xardas managed to survive the figt and over the next 10 years he moved to his new tower near Tooshoo. ArcaniA Xardas lives in his new tower east from Tooshoo. The Shepherd from Feshyr comes across his astral projection near the exit from the Whiteeye Mountain temple, and after having a talk with him he disappears. Later he meets him at the lighthouse. He introduces himself to the Shepherd of Feshyr, and claims that he has been watching him since Feshyr. He thinks that the protagonist will do what he have to do, since its in his nature. Then they meet once again at the eastern tower flanks, and says that he might turn out to be as useful as Rhobar III. After the protagonist defeated Drurhang, the necromancer arrives and claims that he found out how to get The SLeeper out of Rhobar's Mind. Their another meeting takes place in the temple of Innos, after the hero reclaimed the Amulet of the Sleeper. He says that the amulet will do nothing without the setting, so he invites the protagonist into his tower. The teleport can be found in the lighthous behind the city. For the last time, they finally meet in person. The mage gives him the setting for the amulet and tells him to head to the monastery on the cliff, that has been attacked by Xesha and Ahn'bael. He tells him to defeat the demon and to put the amulet in the right place, so Rhobar III can be freed. Necromancer shows the hero a shortcut through Zoldren that will lead him to the monastery, but warns him about the demonic master of Zoldren. Arcania: Fall of Setarrif Xardas briefly appears in the temple under Setarrif. He goes on to explain that the last of artifacts needed to defeat The Sleeper, is a Seal of Godness, that the protagonist left in the monastery on the cliff. The magician says that there is no need to go back thre, since Selena have already brought the seal back to the city. She is in the Temple of Adanos, where she is being attacked by demons, so Xardas tells him to hurry. Trivia *Seeing the Staff of the Eternal Wanderer, Xardas pondered and found that he had already seen this object. There may be a relationship between Xardas and the Eternal Wanderer. *In Gothic 3: Forsaken Gods, from Immanuel, Nameless Hero found out that around Xardas there is a magical aura that strengthens the magical power of everyone in its vicinity. After the victory of the Nameless Hero over Xardas during the duel in Unknown Lands, the Nameless Hero took over part of this magical aura, which he could not use. *In Gothic 3: Forsaken Gods, Immanuel said that there is a magical aura around Xardas that strengthens everyone around him. After the Nameless Hero defeated Xardas as seen in the intro, he took over part of his magical aura, but is unable to use it. *Although he does not appear in Gothic 3: Forsaken Gods, The Player can spawn Xardas with a cheat code, he will be friendly to the Nameless Hero. If The Player spawns Xardas in Gothic 3: Forsaken Gods - Enhanced Edition, his name will not be displayed. *Xardas is the oldest man in the Gothic Saga, about one hundred and sixty years old. *In ArcaniA, Xardas' eyes have barely visible irises and pupils, while in Gothic saga his eyes were completely white. *Probably Xardas was to die in Gothic or the canceled official addon Gothic Sequel, as evidenced by the Xardas' death music track contained in the soundtrack to Gothic. References de:Xardas pl:Xardas (postać) ru:Ксардас